Lost City

Southeast US Premiere

A groundbreaking archival discovery reveals a hidden chapter in the tragic story of Anne Frank and tens of thousands of Dutch Jews: the complicity of the GVB Amsterdam Public Transport company. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Willy Lindwer and historian Guus Luijters unearthed an invoice for 80 guldens (about $4,500 today) issued by GVB to the German occupation forces for transporting Anne Frank, her family, and many others to their doom. This finding reveals how, in seeking payment for its role in the deportations, GVB became an unwitting accomplice in the Nazis' atrocities.

Presented as a poignant road movie, Lost City features the original tram used to transport 48,000 Jews out of Amsterdam, retracing its route through the city’s hauntingly beautiful yet guilt-ridden locations. A survivor’s reflection powerfully captures the era’s collective indifference: “Everybody knew, everybody saw it, and nobody took action.” The film provides a profound new perspective on the murder of Amsterdam’s Jews and the city’s loss of its Jewish soul.

Accompanying the film premiere is a discussion with director Willy Lindwer. To view the conversation please click here.